He Came as a Baby

No one denies that Jesus lived. The Roman government recorded both His birth and His death. The historian Josephus wrote about him—and He became a significant figure in world history.

But if we fail to recognize Him as God-become-man, Jesus will never be important to us personally—and we’ll never appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. He came as a baby, but He was and is the Word which was with God and was God before the beginning of time. (Jn. 1:1,2) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. (Jn. 1:14 KJV)

This God we call Jesus did not pretend to be a person by temporarily taking on human form. Instead, He relinquished His powers as God when He became one of us. It was as though He came incognito. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and his own received Him not.(Jn. 1:10,11)

On the other hand, as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. (vs. 12) And that is the wonder of Christmas.

Originally published December 20, 1985.

Jesus the Word

John begins his gospel with, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (Jn. 1:1 KJV)

The reality of this Word is a difficult concept, for the Word is a person—a He—Jesus. God expressed Himself in human form as Jesus the Word: And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (Jn. 1:14 KJV)

Although people have spirits created in the image of God, no other human is the creative Word as Jesus is the creative Word. No other person is God—or a god. But it is possible for human spirits to reflect godly attributes because we can interact with God—and submit to Him.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Word expressed as Jesus when he wrote, the glory of the Lord shall be revealed . . . but the word of our God shall stand forever. (Is. 40:5a,8b NKJV)

Originally published January 12, 1990

Picture: Patty's garden, 2008. Photo by Solveig

God the Word

God has always manifested Himself through the Word. At the beginning of time He said, Let there be . . . and a world was created. Throughout the Old Testament He spoke through the patriarchs and the prophets. He said through the prophet Isaiah, I have not spoken in secret . . . I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, “Seek me in vain.” (Is. 45:19 NIV)

When Jesus entered history as the Word Incarnate, John wrote, The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory. . . . (Jn. 1:14 NIV)

God continues to manifest Himself today through His Word. Because Scripture tells us that He does not speak in secret, it is our mandate to seek Him, to listen for His voice. If we do not wish to hear Him, He will not force Himself, but when we follow His admonition, we discover that He is alive and true.

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we moight be a kind of first fruits of all he created. (Jas. 1:18 NIV)

Originally published January 28, 1983.